Public capital disbursement must be publicised: Deputy PM

NDO/VNA – Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue has requested the Ministry of Planning and Investment and Ministry of Finance to monthly publicise the disbursement of capital for public investment projects by ministries, sectors and localities.

Deputy PM Hue made the request at a working session with the Ministries of Transport, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Natural Resources and Environment in Hanoi on May 16 to review the implementation of the middle-term public investment plan for 2016-2020.

He said the investment capital allocated for the three ministries totalled at VND303 trillion (US$13.34 billion) in 2016-2020, accounting for over 25% of the total medium-term investment capital of the central budget, which is estimated at VND1.2 quadrillion (US$52.86 billion).

In 2018 alone, the Ministry of Transport was allocated over VND21 trillion (US$925.1 million), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development VND15.7 trillion (US$691.6 million), and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment VND1.5 trillion (US$66 million), he noted.

“However, the allocation and disbursement of capital by the three ministries remained sluggish, much lower than the average level of the country,” he said, stressing that this is “dangerous and unacceptable.”

The Deputy PM pointed out reasons behind this problem including restrictions in legal regulations and policy mechanisms on public investment. However, the main cause lies in the stagnant operation of the three ministries and the irresponsibility of officials, he said.

Therefore, it is necessary to build a strict supervision mechanism and raise the responsibility of heads of each sectors to realise the target of disbursing 100% of capital under the government’s Resolution No.01/NQ-CP on major tasks and solutions guiding the implementation of the 2018 socio-economic development plan and the State budget estimates dated on January 1 this year, he emphasised.

Statistics showed that the disbursement of capital by the Ministry of Transport was estimated at over VND6.9 trillion (US$305 million) in the first four months of 2018, fulfilling 32.6% of the yearly target.

As of May 14, 2018, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment disbursed VND238 billion (US$10.4 million), equal to 16% of the annual goal.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development disbursed more than VND2.1 trillion (US$94.7 million) as of April 30, 2018, reaching 13.7% of the set target.